My Family vs. Cancer- World Cancer Day!

World Cancer Day is celebrated on 4 February each year. The theme for this year is ‘We Can, I Can’. It’s a global initiative to raise Cancer Awareness and to support your local charities. You can read more about this global initiative here. The Cancer curse had struck my family last year. It took us time to recover and now we have courage to talk about it.

Exactly a year back my spouse suffered from a food allergy. We visited our GP for treatment and were advised to get an ultrasound done as a routine check-up. Who thinks of getting scans done every time you suffer a food allergy? Thus, the thought of getting ultrasound was dismissed in a casual manner.

Within a week he fell sick twice. After this he got an ultrasound done on a whim. The ultrasound report showed cyst formation on his kidney. My family doctor suggested to get further scans done and consult a specialist. One thing leads to another and we found out that it was a large tumor on kidney which had maximum possibility of being cancerous.

The rest of the month went in a jiffy with frequent tests & the urgent surgery which was performed to operate upon tumor. The biopsy results confirmed our worst fears that it was Stage 1 Renal Cell Carcinoma (Kidney Cancer). Lucky enough the cancerous cell had not spread in body and it was detected at early stage.

Cancer treatment is a painful process and a lifelong commitment. We had our moments of doubt, but faith kept us going. Nothing in life could have ever prepared us for facing Cancer. You never realize the extent of stress till it hits you. I cannot exactly feel what my spouse went through during whole treatment. We are thankful to have a strong support system in terms of family and friends.

As a child, I have also seen my grandmother being treated for breast cancer. She lived a healthy life till long after her surgery. On both occasions in my family, cancer detection was an accidental finding. Early detection is the key to cancer treatment.

This World Cancer Day take a pledge to get your health check-up done. Do it for yourself and your loved ones. Cancer symptoms may not show up until it’s too late. Regular health screening is the way to go. If you or your loved one have fought cancer, then I am sending loads of love across to you. You are not alone in this battle. I would be honoured to know how you have kicked Cancer and how did you cope with it. Because together we can & we will!

Do share the post to help raise Cancer Awareness and to support those battling it.